Stigmella salicis
Encyclopedia
Stigmella salicis is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is found in all of Europe
(except Iceland
and Greece
), east to the eastern part of the Palearctic ecozone.
The wingspan
is 4–6 mm. Adults are on wing from April to May and again from July to August.
The larvae feed on Myrica gale
, Salix alba, Salix atrocinerea
, Salix aurita
, Salix babylonica, Salix caprea, Salix cinerea, Salix daphnoides, Salix fragilis, Salix lanata
, Salix pentandra, Salix purpurea, Salix repens, Salix silesiaca, Salix triandra
and Salix viminalis. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a variable corridor. It is mostly strongly contorted, sometimes even forming a secondary blotch. The frass line is broad, especially in the first half of the mine.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Nepticulidae
Nepticulidae
Nepticulidae is a family of very small moths with a worldwide distribution. They are characterised by eyecaps over the eyes . These pigmy moths or midget moths, as they are commonly known, include the smallest of all living moths, with a wingspan that can be as little as 3 mm...
family. It is found in all of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
(except Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
), east to the eastern part of the Palearctic ecozone.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 4–6 mm. Adults are on wing from April to May and again from July to August.
The larvae feed on Myrica gale
Myrica gale
Myrica gale is a species of flowering plant in the genus Myrica, native to northern and western Europe and parts of northern North America. It is a deciduous shrub growing to 1–2 m tall. Common names include Bog Myrtle and Sweet Gale...
, Salix alba, Salix atrocinerea
Salix atrocinerea
Salix atrocinerea, commonly called grey willow, is a species of willow....
, Salix aurita
Salix aurita
Salix aurita is a species of willow distributed over much of Europe, and occasionally cultivated. It is a shrub to 2.5 m in height, distinguished from the similar but slightly larger Salix cinerea by its reddish petioles and young twigs. It was given its name because of the persistent...
, Salix babylonica, Salix caprea, Salix cinerea, Salix daphnoides, Salix fragilis, Salix lanata
Salix lanata
Salix lanata, the common name is Wooly Willow, is a species of willow native to tundra regions over much of the Circumboreal Region.-Description:...
, Salix pentandra, Salix purpurea, Salix repens, Salix silesiaca, Salix triandra
Salix triandra
Salix triandra is a species of willow native to Europe and western and central Asia, from southeastern England east to Lake Baikal, and south to Spain and the Caucasus and Alborz mountains...
and Salix viminalis. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a variable corridor. It is mostly strongly contorted, sometimes even forming a secondary blotch. The frass line is broad, especially in the first half of the mine.